The Guardian
by HydraFlow
Summary: A lost orphaned faunus girl finds herself in the care of a young, recently graduated Huntsman through tragic events. He takes it upon himself to raise her even if it kills him. Takes place prior to the events of RWBY.
1. Tragedy

**The Guardian**

 **11 Years before the events of RWBY**

Screaming was all she could remember.

Screaming and running as fast as she could.

It was a stormy night in the small island of Patch and the forest was near pitch black for those that resided there.

She wanted to stay, she wanted to help, but there was nothing this 6 year old little girl could do.

Out of breath. She stopped running and hid underneath the roots of a tree.

She sat down, pulled her legs into her chest and started to cry silently.

This was a terrible idea.

See, the beasts that had attacked her and her father were drawn to negative emotions like sharks to blood. It was only a matter of time before they found her.

Willow wiped away her tears and listened intently using her vixen ears. All she could hear was the wind softly whistling amongst the trees and the splashing of heavy rain.

She was cold, wet and hungry. The latter being of no concern to her right now.

She hugged her knees and adjusted her blue blazer to shield herself from the cold, quietly whimpering due to how terrified she was.

It wasn't over yet.

Suddenly, she heard a branch snapping behind her and covered her mouth.

One of them had found her.

She listened to it sniff the area trying to track her down.

An Alpha Beowulf was truly a force to be reckoned with.

The beast took some steps toward her, growling lowly.

This caused Willow to silently panic. Her eyes darting around and her ears twitching nervously.

The Beowulf came closer and closer towards her and the growling had turned to snarling.

It peered over the root and began to sniff once more.

The little girl held her breath in anticipation and fear. She looked directly upwards to see the beast staring right at her and in that moment she suffered a small heart attack.

She went to scramble and run but it swiftly pounced in front of her, trying to play with its prey.

Without warning, a sword soon found itself lodged in the trunk of the tree, separating the girl and the Beowulf.

The creature had no time to brace itself before a man in knight's armour threw himself at the Beowulf and tackled it to the ground.

The beast tried clawing at this aggressor but received a mouthful of armoured gauntlet and got thrown into a nearby tree.

Willow took this opportunity to get up and run for her life. Her mind was racing and she kept looking behind her to witness this brawl between man and monster.

She quickly hid behind a bush and watched this man fight with a balanced art of brute strength and surgical precision.

The Beowulf made a leap towards him and he immediately grappled it and slammed it into the ground right in front of Willow.

Whilst it was trying to recover, he grabbed his sword and yanked it out of the tree.

Willow stayed dead still as its burning red eyes bore into her. Slowly, it began to rise and she turned around in an effort to run away.

However, she slipped on the muddy ground and hit her head on something hard. She cried out in pain and tried _desperately_ to crawl away from the soulless creature but it was no use.

She was done for.

Before she had any chance to move the beast leapt at her, but stopped mere inches from her small frame.

The knight had grabbed it by the tail and yanked it away from the girl. It roared in pain and clawed at the ground, trying to get just that _little_ bit closer so it could finally kill her.

But this man had denied it that opportunity so it viciously lashed out, attempting to slash and bite at him. Despite this, the man calmly swung his sword and rid the beast of its right arm.

It took two steps backwards and roared in agony.

The knight readjusted his stance and waited for the foul beast to make its move.

It made another attempt at going for the girl but the man once more swung his sword, only this time, he had skewered the Beowulf right through the chest, finishing the monster.

Willow at this point, had become dizzy and very tired from her head wound. Her vision becoming blurred and darker.

The last thing she saw is images of her mysterious guardian lifting her off of the ground.

* * *

The Knight picked the little girl up. "I've got you, kid." He mumbled in a soothing nature.

To him, she weighed next to nothing. So carrying her was effortless.

" _Such a terrible thing to have happened_." He thought to himself. He was just glad to have prevented her from dying, but she wasn't out of the woods yet, quite literally in fact.

He had noticed the gash on her forehead and knew she'd need medical attention, so he wasted no time in getting back to the camp he had set up.

It wasn't far from their location, but he still had quite a ways to go.

He had heard of the growing number of Grimm sightings on Patch and had taken it upon himself to investigate.

When he had set up, he had begun to observe their movements, which was what led him to this incident and the small faunus child he carried in his arms.

His sword was placed in its scabbard on his left hip and his kite shield was mounted on his back.

He looked down at the girl and wiped the mud off of her face before once more cradling her and pulling her closer in an attempt to warm her up.

It didn't take a genius to notice how cold she was. He could feel her shivering through his gauntlets.

The Knight then removed his cape and wrapped it around her. It wouldn't do a lot, but he had to try to warm her up or else she'd get sick.

"C'mon kid, hang in there." He said whilst breaking into a jog.

The camp they were headed to wasn't too far from their location, a few kilometres at most, but he had to give her immediate medical attention.

Hell, the man just took out an Alpha Beowulf to save her and he'll be damned if she dies of hypothermia instead.

He noticed that she had gone completely limp, which he recognised as a bad sign. He began to pick up the pace and started accelerating into a full blown sprint.

He weaved through the trees with incredible speed for someone of his build. Easily clearing a kilometre in a short amount of time.

He shielded the girl with his arms and held a firm grip on her as to protect her from any stray branches.

As he started to run out of breath, the clearing where'd the camp was set up was just in the distance.

He could see the fire burning brightly and decided to push himself to get there quicker.

Once he burst through the treeline, he skidded to a stop where the tents of his and a couple of other huntsmen that had joined him were.

He walked inside his tent and gently placed down the small girl.

"Oh _man_ , what happened?" A man in a trenchcoat asked as he kneeled down beside the girl.

"Alpha Beowulf, had to fight it hand-to-hand." He replied as he picked up a first aid kit.

"She's not looking too well, dude. You might have to unlock her aura. She freezing cold and that head wound looks fatal." He stated with concern.

" _Shit_." The knight cursed. He pulled out a gauze and poured some antiseptic into it before wiping her head clean.

He sighed. He didn't want to have to resort to this, but her unlocked aura might be the only thing capable of saving her life.

He looked at the trenchcoat wearing huntsmen and received a nod in response.

Carefully, he placed his hands on the side of the girl's head and chest. Then proceeded to speak the mantra. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

The Knight felt his glowing red aura seep into the girl and release her soul. The sensation felt akin to cracking the seal on a shaken soda can.

Almost immediately the girl started to glow a midnight blue colour and the gash on the top of her head sealed.

"It worked." The trenchcoat donned man sighed in relief.

"Thank the Gods for that, Murphy." He said as he took off his helmet, revealing a young chiselled face with steel eyes and slicked back brown hair.

"She'll be fine, I'll grab a spare blanket from my tent and wrap her up in it. Once the rain stops, I recommend placing her near the fire, it'll warm her up quicker. Two seconds." He said as he stood up and walked towards his tent.

The Knight gave a sigh of relief before sitting down in the small camping chair. "Well, Sam, you've _really_ outdone yourself this time." He sardonically commented to himself.

He wiped his face with his hands before Murphy came back with the blanket he promised.

"Here. Lift her up whilst I lay it on the bed." He instructed. Sam stood up and lifted the girl. Murphy then laid the blanket out on the camping bed and Sam placed her back down again.

"Here you go, kiddo." Murphy soothed as he wrapped her up and tucked her in.

"This'll keep her warm enough til the rain stops, or til Marina returns. The blanket has dust weaved into it so it's naturally warmer than a standard blanket." Murphy then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a cigar.

"Want one?" He asked. Sam reached over and took the Mistralian cigar and bit the end off before spitting it outside the tent.

Murphy offered a light and Sam took it before taking a puff.

"This isn't half bad, didn't you buy them from that travelling salesman?" He asked.

Murphy nodded before exhaling.

"C'mon, we shouldn't smoke in here with her."

They both stepped out side and sat down underneath the tarp cover.

"Where'd you find her anyway?" Murphy asked.

"As soon as I left, I spotted a pack of Beowulves running north so I followed them. I soon came to another clearing but I was too late to stop them from killing this man, who I _assume_ to be her father. I engaged them and it was nothing too difficult. However, I noticed the alpha was nowhere to be seen, but I saw its footprints heading off into a dense part of the forest. The bastard was quick though, he ran quite a distance and it was at least a ten minute run. Once I finally caught up with it he had found the girl hiding underneath an outgrown tree root and well... The rest is history." Sam explained before taking another pull of his cigar.

Murphy nodded his head in understanding and they both sat there enjoying eachother's silent company and the sound of rain hitting the tarp.

"You mentioned the girl's father might be dead earlier. What does this mean for the girl? What if she has no other family?" Murphy asked, concern in his voice.

"It's too soon to say. We could let Ozpin know, he's resourceful enough to know what to do. Yet, it doesn't feel right... It's was almost as if fate _wanted_ us to meet. Why else would this have happened? It's not everyday you go out into a Grimm infested forest for a walk." Sam rambled.

"What if you took her on Sam? Raised her as if she was your own? Assuming she has no other relatives." Murphy suggested.

"I don't think I can do that Murph." Sam said shaking his head.

"Really Sam? I saw the way you look at her, the amount of concern you have for her wellbeing. Not _only_ did you take it upon yourself to kill an _Alpha Beowulf_ for her protection, you _literally_ gave a piece of yourself to stop her from dying of disease. So please, continue to tell me about how you can't look after her."

Sam sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Look, you unlocked her aura, that is not something to be taken lightly, man. A little piece of you lives inside her now, protecting her from harm. And assuming you let her go, one way or another she will remember you and she will find you. That little girl in there, I can tell from the way she looks that she's a fighter, and she's going to stick to you like glue. Whether you like it or not." Murphy patted Sam's shoulder before sticking his arm out to feel for rain.

"You know, he's right Sam." A voice called out from behind them.

Sam turned around to see a woman leaning against the tent.

"She's lost now, she's going to need someone to look after her, and you know from experience how bad orphanages are. Don't you?"

He nodded and sighed for what could possibly be the 50th time.

"Alright alright, you've both made your point, but all we know is that her father is dead. What about her mother? Surely she's still around, right?" Sam asked.

Marina put on a grim face and shook her head.

"No, she's not."

"When I was out exploring the area I came across a wrecked log cabin. It was clearly Grimm that did it so I investigated." She began, sitting down in front of both men and rummaging in her pockets before pulling out a picture frame and handing it to Sam.

The picture was of a young blonde woman and her husband, holding the girl that Sam saved.

"I found a body of a woman inside, _identical_ to the one in this photo." She explained.

"You're all she's got, Sam."

Sam turned around and looked at the sleeping girl, the colour had returned to her face and she no longer had a pained expression.

"You're right." Sam said in defeat.

"But we live dangerous lives, _I_ live a dangerous life. Surely she would be safer in an orphanage?" He asked.

"While that is true, she would be safer. Orphanages in Vale are awful places and the faunus there have it even worse. You'd be sending her to hell." Marina replied.

Sam stood up and walked towards the sleeping girl. He kneeled beside her and stroked her blonde hair out of her face.

"We'll need to teach her how to defend herself." He proposed.

"I just went through hell to rescue her. I _refuse_ to put her through the same misfortune I went through." He stated.

Marina smiled. "Of course, Sam, you can teach her how to use melee weapons and hand-to-hand combat, Murphy can give her marksman training and I'll teach her the proper applications of dust." She suggested.

Murphy smirked and twirled one of his revolvers. "In a years time she'll be able to shoot a bottle cap from ten feet away. In midair _and_ blindfolded."

Sam grinned

"Now all we have to do is introduce ourselves."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **I'm sorry for my lack of updates, I've been having writer's block like a bitch. Plus trying to balance this around work is a pain in the ass. I'll be setting up a poll on my page for you all to vote on which story I should update next. DMNO has a chapter that's currently in the works. Same for Redd and Blu and PFIMM. A Purple Vengeance is probably getting rewritten as I don't like where the story is going so don't expect an update for that. But the other stories will be getting updated, you can be sure of that.**

 **Have a good one!**

 **-Hydra**


	2. My Name is Willow

**My Name is Willow**

* * *

Willow woke up to the sound of wood being chopped.

Slowly, she peeled her eyes open and looked around.

She sat up and tenderly felt her head where'd she'd hit that rock. She was shocked to find that it was no longer hurting or even injured in the first place.

Willow rubbed her eyes and looked around the area. She started to panic slightly when she realised that it was someplace she didn't recognise.

She'd always been a nervous girl, but this was a lot of stimuli for her. Her breathing became quick and shallow and her fox ears started to twitch. Someone had clearly heard her and was approaching the tent.

Willow tensed up and pulled the blanket over her face in an attempt to hide from whoever was coming.

The zip to the tent was undone and a strange woman ducked her head to get inside.

She approached Willow with a warm smile on her face, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

" _Hey_ , hey, it's okay sweety, I'm not here to hurt you." She affirmed in a calm voice.

Willow attempted to speak but had caught a bit of a dry throat so it ended up as a muffled choking sound.

The strange woman giggled and pulled out a water bottle. "I bet you're thirsty huh? Here, drink some water."

Willow gingerly took the bottle in both hands and gulped it down.

"Wow. Looks like you haven't had a drink in a while." The lady chuckled. "Drink as much as you need, honey."

Willow handed the water bottle back to the woman and wiped her mouth.

"Are you hungry too?" The woman asked, pulling out a chocolate bar and showing it to her.

Willow nodded and took the chocolate bar and wrangled with the wrapper before getting it open and taking a small bite.

Her eyes immediately widened and she immediately took another, much larger, bite.

"You like that?" The lady asked with a smile.

Willow quickly nodded as she swallowed.

"It's almost as if you've never had chocolate before." She giggled, revealing her pearly white teeth.

Willow slowly shook her head and the lady gasped.

"You poor girl." She said with sympathy.

"Have you even been to Vale?" She asked.

Willow shook her head once more and took a third and final bite of her chocolate before chewing and swallowing it down.

"What's your name sweety?" The woman asked.

Willow looked at her. "W-Willow." Her tender voice croaked.

"Well Willow, my name is Marina. It's nice to meet you." Marina smiled.

Willow reciprocated a small smile before attempting to stand up.

"Here, let me help you with that." Marina picked the small girl up and placed her on her feet.

"C'mon, I have someone that _really_ wants to meet you." Marina said as she held the small girl's hand.

Willow began to feel the cool air through her torn clothes and shivered in response.

Marina noticed this and took off her scarf to wrap it around her.

"Better?" She asked. Willow looked up at her and nodded.

They both stepped outside to see two other individuals, one chopping wood with an axe and the other was leaning back in a chair with his hat placed over his eyes.

Willow immediately recognised the one cutting wood and let go of Marina's hand to run to him.

"Sam, head's up!" She called.

The man stopped cutting wood for a split second before a small faunus threw herself at him and started to hug him with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

He gently placed the wood axe down and picked the small girl up.

She wrapped her arms around his neck mumbling the words "Thank you" over and over again.

" _Shh_ , it's okay, I got you now." Her said in a calming tone.

Willow was on the verge of a breakdown. She was experiencing all kinds of emotions in that one moment of embrace. Happy, sad, angry, scared.

But the one that stood out the most was the fact that for the first time in her life, she felt safe, as if nothing could get to her in that one moment of time.

She sobbed heavily into Sam's shoulder whilst her stroked the back of her head, trying to calm her down.

"I've got you kiddo, everything's gonna be okay." He soothed her.

Marina slowly approached them both, trying not to shed a tear in this little moment.

"We told you, Sam." She smirked. Sam looked up at her and nodded.

Willow slowly let go of Sam as he crouched on one knee so she could reach the floor.

"Feeling better?" He asked with a grin. Willow nodded as she wiped away any tears that remained on her face.

"I'm sure you've already met Marina, but that's Murphy and I'm Samuel. What's your name?"

"My name is Willow." She said with a lot more confidence.

"What's your last name?" Sam inquired.

Willow awkwardly shuffled her feet and rubbed her right arm.

"I-I don't know..." She mumbled.

Sam looked at her in curiosity, startled that she didn't even know her own last name.

"Don't worry about it, that's not important right now, what _is_ important is that you get something to eat. I bet you're hungrier than just a chocolate bar." Marina spoke in a cheerful voice.

Willow nodded her head.

Sam stood up and pulled two sausages off of the grill near the fire.

"Would you like a hotdog, Willow?" He offered.

Willow enthusiastically nodded in response, so Sam grabbed two buns and placed each hotdog inside. He then put them on a plate and handed it to her before pulling up a chair for the girl to sit on.

Willow plopped herself on the seat and tucked in to her food. Taking bite after bite and eating them as if she hadn't eaten in days.

"Wow, she really _was_ hungry." Murphy speculated. Sam grabbed himself a burger and took a single bite out of it, taking nearly half of the thing inside his mouth.

He chewed slowly, watching over Willow as he did so, making sure she didn't accidentally choke on her hotdogs.

Like any father-like figure, he had to make sure her safety came first before all else.

He inspected her thoroughly. Her hair was messy and had bits of dried mud in it, whereas her clothes were torn and dirty. She had the prettiest of blue eyes, full of curiosity and wonder. Shoulder length gold-blonde hair. As for her body; She was slim and judging from her build, very agile, which of course came naturally to the faunus. Since she had Fox-like traits she was even more agile than someone like a Bear faunus, just for example.

After about two minutes, Willow had completely purged her plate and looked at Sam in want.

"Still hungry?" He asked. She nodded. "Don't worry, we've got loads more."

He stood up and used a spatula to flip two burgers before grabbing two cooked ones and placing each in buns.

"Would you like some sauce?" He asked, shaking a bottle of ketchup.

She pointed to the barbecue sauce and Sam easily caught on. He squirted a generous amount into each burger and placed a slice of cheese on each.

"Careful, they're hot." He warned, but it didn't stop her from delving right into it, completely undeterred by the heat.

They all sat there eating (even Murphy decided to grab a burger) for about ten minutes. Willow was the first to finish with a big burp, to which she blushed afterwards.

"Willow? Would you like to put something cleaner on? Your clothes are filthy, honey." Marina asked.

"We _have_ something cleaner for her?" Murphy questioned.

Marina nodded. "I _always_ keep kid's clothes on me for situations _just_ like this." She responded with pride.

"Hey Sam, spot the nerd." Murphy remarked, pulling out another cigar.

Sam shook his head and laughed.

"Hey!" Marina whined.

Willow giggled too.

"C'mon, we'll go get you cleaned up, there's a small pond not too far from here." Marina guided Willow, holding her small hand.

"Take your weapon, you might need it." Sam ordered. Marina quickly used telekinesis to pull her staff toward her and caught it, giving Sam a mock salute before escorting an awestruck Willow to the pond to clean up.

Willow stared at Marina's staff in amazement. Analysing each and every detail, from the cyan wrapping around the handle, to the metal contraption at the end.

Marina caught her staring and smiled. "It's cool huh?" She asked. Willow nodded but still kept staring.

"What does it do?" She asked, pointing to the contraption.

"This? This allows me to fire and manipulate Dust." Marina explained.

"You know what Dust is, right?" She asked and received a nod in response.

"Okay great! Well, this part here revolves allowing me to change Dust types when I'm fighting someone or something. This button _here_..." She pushed the button and the revolving head popped open to reveal 8 cylinders full of dust. "... Allows me to quickly swap out Dust types or reload whatever ones I've used up." She pushed the button once more and the contraption closed up.

"I wish I had something like that." Willow mumbled.

" _Oh you will_..." Marina teased. "But it'll be _much_ cooler." She smirked at Willow when her eyes lit up like a christmas tree.

Willow felt herself get really excited on the inside and had a smile permanently plastered across her face until they got to the pond.

"Now I know for a fact that this water is going to be cold, but thankfully I brought my staff, so we can change that. Plus, you're a _lady_ and only men wash in cold water." Marina giggled. She then switched her staff to fire Burn Dust and blasted the water for about five minutes.

The pond gradually got hotter and hotter until it was more than warm enough to bathe in.

"Try that." Marina instructed. Willow tenderly walked towards the water and dipped her hand in, feeling it was more than satisfactory she then got rid of her dirty clothes with the aid of the older huntress and climbed in.

* * *

Sam had resumed cutting up more firewood. Since Willow and Marina were occupied and Murphy was napping, he had nothing better to do, since he cleaned his equipment whilst Willow was sleeping.

He had debated on patrolling the area to scout out anymore Grimm, but between the two Huntsman and Huntress, they had already gathered more than enough intel to complete their reconnaissance mission.

He wondered how he would break the news to Willow. How her parents were no longer with her.

And to be honest, it terrified the hell out of him.

He didn't think it would be as hard as they said, unlocking someone's aura. But ever since he had unlocked Willow's, he had become increasingly aware of her motions, her thoughts and feelings. He couldn't read them directly, but it was more of a blurry feeling to him and easy enough to block out. This however, made it significantly more difficult to tell Willow the harsh reality, based on the fact that he'll physically feel how heartbroken she was going to be.

She was just a little girl, and he didn't know her well enough to determine how she'd react.

He dismissed these thoughts and figured he'd have to tell her when they were alone.

* * *

Willow returned to the camp feeling cleaner and happier. Marina not only had spare clothes for her, that of which fit near perfectly. But she had also packed a hairbrush and brushed Willow's hair to the point of silkiness. They had talked a lot when they were at the pond, despite it being nearly 3 in the morning and both girls were tired.

Marina had learned that Willow was highly intelligent for her age, almost a genius. She had extensive knowledge in mathematics, literature and science.

They had discussed what Willow aspired to be and much to Marina's surprise, Willow didn't know. That or she was smart enough not to declare anything as set in stone. After all, she was young and smart, meaning she could be anything she wanted to be.

Willow had made one thing clear though, she wanted to help people, Faunus and Human alike.

Willow sat down in the same seat as before and began to observe Sam go to work on the firewood, taking a log and effortlessly splitting it with one full swing.

He had already accumulated a sizable pile of firewood to keep the fire going until they had to leave and he was visibly worn out by the task.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, he set the axe down and took a swig of water.

He noticed Willow sitting there wearing a black shirt with a blue skirt and black tights underneath. Marina, addition to brushing her hair had placed it in a high ponytail, tied with a red ribbon. It looked nice on her and it really accentuated her Fox ears.

"You're looking much nicer Willow, how'd you feel?" He asked with a smile.

She grinned at him. "Good." She chirped, swinging her legs on the seat.

"I hope you're ready for bed, because we're leaving this place tomorrow and you're coming with us so we gotta be up early to pack our things." He informed her.

She nodded her head.

"Okay great. Who's tent do you want to sleep in?" He asked already knowing her answer.

She instantly pointed at him and he smirked. "I thought you might."

* * *

 **Author's note: I have so much in store for this story and feel like it could go a long way. I feel the need to remind everyone that the poll is still up on my profile page so if you'd like to vote it will really help me deliver what stories you wish to be prioritised. Other than that, I have really nothing else to say except the fact that DOOM is a fucking fantastic game and you should all go and play it.**

 **Have a good one!**

 **-Hydra**


	3. Grim Realities

**Grim Realities**

Willow slept like a baby during the rest of the night. Sam had opted to throwing a couple of blankets and his sleeping bad on the floor whilst the girl took his bed once more.

He had _also_ learned one of the _many_ lessons in raising a child, sacrifices _must_ be made. Not like he cared that much though, he'd slept on much worse. It was approximately 5 in the morning and the only people awake were Sam and Willow. He had decided that now would be the time to tell her of her parents' fate. She was sat by the fire keeping warm in the autumn breeze, cautiously, he approached her and sat down beside her.

"Willow. There's something I need to tell you." He sighed heavily, the weight of the conversation immediately sending pangs of guilt to his heart, it didn't help that she looked at him intently with her deep cerulean eyes.

"We found a house in the woods not far from here and there was a woman... A woman with ears just like yours..." He began, a grim expression foreshadowing the news he was about to tell.

"...She-She's not alive anymore."

Willow knew exactly who Sam was talking about.

Her mother.

Her fox ears flattened and the sparkle in her eyes dulled instantly.

"It was the monsters, wasn't it?" She asked quietly.

Sam slowly nodded his head.

"I am _so_ sorry." Sam consoled. He looked at her apologetically and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. He could feel her silently sobbing in his shoulder and just hugged her tighter. They stayed like that for about 15 minutes. Not a word spoken between them.

Willow had stopped crying eventually but Sam still held her regardless until she pulled away, wiping her eyes and nose.

"You may be wondering where you're gonna go," Sam began, waiting for her affirmation.

Willow nodded.

"Well, before I tell you this I need to know. Willow, do you trust us? Me, Murphy and Marina?" He asked.

Instantly Willow nodded, giving Sam a small wave of relief.

"Well, we were all thinking... What if you wanted us to look after you? More specifically, what if you wanted _me_ to look after you?"

Willow's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, she began to nod furiously and her eyes began to water. Throwing herself at Sam in elation, she began to grin manically. Fortunately he was actually prepared this time and picked the little girl up effortlessly.

"C'mon kid, we've gotta get ready to leave this place." He said ruffling Willow's hair.

* * *

After breakfast was served and Marina and Murphy were awake and ready they had all packed their tents and other items. Sam had gone off to find Willow's old home. He needed to take pictures and alert authorities of what had happened.

That was what he told the others anyway.

Whilst he did intend to take pictures, his ulterior motive was to see the damage himself.

He had eventually reached his destination without any trouble from Grimm but what he did find was worrying to say the least.

"Oh no." He muttered under his breath.

He witnessed two men dressed in black and white uniforms, they both had hoods on and white masks, hiding their identity.

"What the _hell_ are the White Fang doing here?" He asked himself.

Sam wasn't a moron, nor was he uninformed.

He knew very well of the White Fang, but he was more interested as to why they were snooping around a cabin in the middle of Patch.

Then it clicked.

Willow's parents, or at least one of them, were likely members of that pre-peaceful organisation.

This spelt bad news and all kinds of red lights were flashing in Sam's head.

He carefully and quietly crouched behind a tree, observing their actions and trying to eavesdrop.

"-no wonder they didn't report back in." One of them said.

Sam hushed his breathing to hear them better.

"The boss isn't going to like this." The other said.

"Well, you can tell him then, we're supposed to torch this place. Get rid of any evidence."

"Didn't they have a kid? A little girl? Where is she?"

Sam's heart skipped a beat.

"We didn't find a body, she could still be alive. You know how the boss is with - _ahem-_ loose ends."

Sam slowly began to grip his sword and drew it as quietly as possible.

"Yeah well, the boss can deal with that. I'm not paid enough to kill a kid."

Sam loosened up, but he knew that he _still_ had to get inside that house. He watched carefully where he stepped as to not arouse their attention and slowly crept up towards one of the White Fang members as he was dousing the place in a flammable liquid.

The other was out of the way inside the house so Sam eventually got to within ten metres of the first individual and then swiftly knocked him out using the pommel of his sword, catching his body before he fell and made a noise. He dragged the goon behind a bush and set him down, careful not to alert his buddy. He crept behind the second individual and hid around the corner and waited for a few seconds before the second man walked towards him and as soon as he was by the corner Sam sprung up and delivered a swift knuckle sandwich, knocking him out cold.

Now that he was free of any White Fang thugs, Sam entered the ruins of what was once Willow's home and scanned the area, looking for anything of interest. He noticed he was standing in what used to be a living room, there was a tv, a few images of what he only assumed to be relatives with Willow's late parents, a torn up carpet, the remains of a sofa, a destroyed table and some broken kid's toys. No doubt Willow's.

He took pictures to document what happened here. Frankly, Sam had never seen so much carnage, the whole room looked like a bomb site. As if the view wasn't already bad enough, the blood of the female victim was _everywhere_.

On the walls, on the carpet, all over the sofa... just _everywhere_.

It was mortifying and Sam felt a little nauseated by the sight. His stomach was having _none_ of that shit.

Deciding that he'd seen enough, he walked down the hallway and entered the master bedroom, to his surprise it wasn't as bad as the living room but the place was still a tip. The wooden bed had been all but destroyed and the mirrored wardrobe was smashed. Inside the wardrobe Samuel had spotted something that confirmed his suspicions.

Two uniforms.

Two very _old_ uniforms.

Both of which he recognised instantly. It was confirmed. Willow's parents had been White Fang. Not like it mattered anymore, they were _dead_ for crying out loud. But what did this mean for Willow? Would this jeopardise her safety?

He couldn't take any risks.

He _had_ to get her out of Patch.

Far away that this would never effect her.

He'd get her last named changed to his own, go through all the legal documents.

Samuel Steele was more than able to jump through all the legal hoops.

If she were to be _his_ kid, he was not willing to let her be hunted by a terrorist cell.

She was _six_ and barely able to walk and talk, she could _not_ be expected to deal with _this_. Especially when the authorities and Huntsmen were having a hard time as it was. Sam exited the room with grit teeth and a clenched jaw and walked down the hallway, passing the kitchen and bathroom straight to the room at the end.

Slowly, he pushed open the shattered door. Claw marks very visible in the wood. The room on the other side was myriad shades of dark blue with decorative wallpaper.

"Similar to her Aura." Sam commented to himself.

There, in the middle of the room was a single bed, either side sporting a bedside cabinet. There were a few stuffed animals on the bed and thrown around the room, _some_ in better condition than _others._

A flexible lamp on the right cabinet illuminated a shattered picture frame. Sam walked over to it and lifted the frame up, revealing a picture of the little girl as a baby. He laid his sword against the bed. Careful not to tear or damage it anymore than it already was, Sam gently pried the picture out of the shattered frame.

He held the picture up to his face, pulling off his helmet with one hand to see it better. His heart, which was once beating like a war-drum in his chest, began to slow down as he analysed the picture of Willow.

She was a _tiny_ baby - probably small enough to have fit in just _one_ of Sam's palms - Sam couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the two huge, soft fox ears on her head. They were comically disproportionate to the size of her head.

Pressed for time as it was, he tucked the image of her into his armour and placed his helmet back on his head. He was eagar to leave this haunted shell of a home and return to the girl he would take under his wing. Picking up his sword that he had set against the bed, he sheathed it and walked back through the hallway, stepping over any shattered glass or construction debris.

Once he stepped outside it had began to rain. Let it _never_ be said that Sam enjoyed rain. Thankfully his armour was watertight and rust proof, thanks to the dust-forged steel it was made from.

He took one last look at the broken home before walking away, never to return again.

* * *

Back at the camp, little Willow was growing silently impatient. Sam had been gone for longer than she thought and she was worried. Her facial features were scrunched up and Murphy would occasionally glance and chuckle at her, specifically the way her bottom lip was sticking out.

She trodded over to Marina, who was packing her things ready to leave and lightly tugged on her coat-tail to gain her attention.

Marina turned and looked down at the girl inquisitively, offering her a smile.

"What's the matter sweetie?" She asked in a mothering voice.

"I miss Sam." The girl pouted.

"He'll be back soon, don't worry." Marina smiled at the girl.

Willow wasn't convinced, _or_ amused, as she maintained her pout whilst looking down at the floor.

"Hey kid, you keep that bottom lip sticking out and I'll have to stack our tents on it." A deep male voice called out from behind her.

Instantly, her sapphire eyes lit up in joy as she ran towards the man in armour behind her.

He quickly picked her up and sat her on his broad shoulders whilst she giggled, throwing her arms in the air and getting soaked by the precipitation.

"You ready to go little one?" He asked looking at her through his helmet's visor.

"Yep!" She chirped.

"Good, we'll be leaving soon." He replied, ruffling her her, to which she whined in response.

He put her down and decided it was time to disassemble his tent.

* * *

After everything was packed, the fire was snuffed out and everyone was accounted for, a Bullhead was called and waiting to pick them up and drop them into Vale.

Each of them boarded the Bullhead, Sam holding Willow's hand to make sure she didn't fall, and the ship took off.

Willow's hand tightened around Sam's and he looked down at her.

"First time flying?"

She looked up at him with nervous eyes.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." He comforted her by rubbing her head.

"You're going to like Vale." Marina perked up. "There's so much to do."

Willow seemed to forget about her nervousness as Marina started to speak to her about Vale.

"There's lots of stores there; restaurants, cafés, clothing stores, _weapon_ stores." Marina grinned at that last one, as she knew Willow had a particular interest in those.

"Tell me more!" She chirped, eyes full of fascination. "I wanna know about the weapons!"

Marina shook her head. " _Nope_." She said, popping the 'p'. "You'll just have to see when we get there."

Willow stuck her infamous bottom lip out once more, earning a chuckle from the older huntress.

* * *

The journey lasted only 20 minutes and when they landed, Murphy handed the pilot a couple of Lien cards for his service before they all exited the Bullhead and made their way out of the airport.

Willow's tiny little frame began to siphon energy from an unknown source - possibly the sun - as she practically jumped for joy being introduced to this new environment.

Sam looked down at her and couldn't help but sprout a smile. She had that adorable little glint in her eye that he had grown to love in the past 24 hours. He picked the tiny girl up and carried her out of the ship on his shoulders. Murphy _also_ handed the pilot a tip of 50 Lien for his service and the man happily pocketed it.

The four of them left the airport via elevator and Sam let Willow down so that she may take in the scenery. Holding on to Willow's hand for the duration of the trip to make sure she didn't wander off and get herself lost in the urban jungle that was Vale.

Sam had decided that their first order of business was to get the girl some damn clothes, whilst Marina had done a decent job, Willow was tiny, so the clothes that she was wearing looked at _least_ two sizes too small. This was an issue that Sam was determined to fix.

"Hey guys, you two go on ahead to city hall to file the report and claim the reward, we'll catch up with you later," Sam called to Marina and Murphy.

"Where are _you_ going?" Marina asked, raising her eyebrow. Sam simply pointed to Willow's oversized black shirt.

"Shopping." He bluntly replied. Marina looked a little unamused at his response.

"What? Are my clothes not good enough?" She questioned him jokingly.

" _No_ , they just don't fit her properly," He grinned, flashing his teeth underneath his helmet.

Marina lost her scowl and rolled her eyes. "Very well, catch up with you later," She sighed. Murphy just waved to them before following the Huntress.

This prompted Sam to walk the opposite direction to the huntsmen duo with an awestruck Willow sat comfortably on his shoulders. It was only five minutes into walking down the bustling streets of Vale before Sam began to notice various glares and looks of disgust coming from passers by. Obviously, the sentiment towards Faunus here was less than savory. However, despite his vexation, he didn't react in any hostile manner as Willow seemed too busy sightseeing to care.

Sam had finally found the store he was looking for, a humble tailor shop he spent much time in during his younger days. As he entered the establishment he heard the familiar chiming sound above the door before setting Willow on the ground to explore.

"Two seconds!" A mature womanly voice called out from the back of the store. Sam recognised the sound of a sewing machine working in the background.

His eyes scanned the store, paying attention to the many vibrant colours and fabrics on display. There was quite possibly every colour under the sun in the shop, sheets of varying fabrics and materials in large abundance, all neatly organised in a colour coordinated fashion.

Orderly. Just like the merry character that ran the fine shop.

"Hello and welcome to- _Oh my word_..." The words came out as a whisper as the woman dropped her lastest piece on the floor and her slightly wrinkled hands shot up to her cheeks.

Samuel grinned as he lifted his helmet and met the bronze eyes of the maiden behind the counter.

"Long time, no see, huh Janice?" He joked, flashing a grin at the older woman.

Her gaped mouth soon formed a bright smile as she shuffled around the counter and wrapped the young huntsman up in a hug.

"Oh~ look how _big_ you've grown!" She beamed in elation as she placed her gentle hands on his face and gave him a loving kiss on the cheek, an action he reciprocated without hesitation.

They soon parted as the lady made her way back around the counter. "I remember when you were but a timid boy entering my shop for the first time. _Ohh_ , I'm so proud of you!"

"I remember that too, feels like a long time ago," He recalled the memory, smiling warmly. "But it's not me who needs some clothes this time around..."

Sam peered down to the small faunus hiding behind his legs, Willow was looking up at Janice Everlite with a reserved look in her blue eyes. Holding her baggy sleeves up to cover her face slightly.

Janice caught sight of the little girl and her facial expression immediately softened. " _Aww_ , aren't you adorable?" She cooed, chuckling slightly.

"Janice, this is Willow," Sam began, bending down to pick up the girl. As he did so, the faunus buried her face in the crook of his neck to hide. Sam heartily chuckled as he brought up a hand to stroke the back of her head. "As you may tell, she's a _little_ shy."

Janice's smile grew into a grin as her eyes focused softly on the tiny girl. " _Oh~_ that's alright, son. She just hasn't met me yet."

"So, this begs the question. Is she _yours_ Samuel?" The woman asked inquisitively, brandishing a mothering tone, with a hint of jokiness.

Sam's happy expression faltered slightly but he still remained smiling.

"No, not biologically at least. She uh- she's in the same situation I was as a kid," He replied in a darker tone. Judging by the way Janice's expression fell slightly, indicated that she knew what he meant; The poor child was an orphan, much like Samuel was.

Sam had met Janice whilst he was still living in the orphanage. He was one of the few kids allowed to explore Vale and he was often given the task of taking the children's torn clothes to Janice to repair them. It was during this time, that Sam had bonded with Janice, the woman acting as close to a mother figure as Sam could get. This meant that Janice knew Samuel Steele thoroughly, and could see right through the 25 year old man like a pane of glass.

The girl in his arms raised several familiar alarms in Janice's mind. If this girl was now an orphan, Janice held her reservations that Sam would undoubtedly bond with her well and maybe even adopt her as his own. She knew he had a heart of gold, in regards to her heritage, Janice knew that Sam would completely bypass that and see her for who she was as a person. A quality of Sam's that Janice was _most_ proud of.

"I see," The woman replied, her warm smile returning to her face. "Well, I've known you long enough to tell you that I know you'd make a great father, Samuel. _That_ I have faith in."

The woman sighed deeply. "I just hope the council will agree with what you're _undoubtedly_ planning. You know how they are with Huntsmen parents _and_ Faunus respectively. Chances are, my boy, that the odds may not be stacked in your favour..."

Sam nodded slowly. "I will do whatever it takes. You know how I feel about orphanages," Sam ran his hand through Willow's hair and looked at her with concerned eyes. "Her parents were with the Fang, Janice. I may be able to use that fact to coax the council into letting me take her in. Maybe even train her to become a Huntress. There aren't many Faunus Huntsmen or Huntresses in the world, after all."

Janice looked at the pair with a raised eyebrow and instantly recognised that caring look in Sam's steely-grey eyes. A look she was all too familiar with.

"Well, whatever the future brings you Samuel, just know that I will _always_ be here for guidance," The woman spoke confidently, flashing the man a grin. "Now I _know_ you didn't just come here to catch up, what can I do for you both?"

Sam smiled and stopped stroking Willow's golden hair to pinch the girl's shirt and pull it, indicating how loose-fitting it was.

Janice smiled, knowing _exactly_ what the man was getting at. The girl needed new clothes, and Janice was _all_ too willing to help out.

* * *

 **Author's Note: It's been far too long since I updated any of my stories, but fuck it. I have way too many ideas building up with many chapters written. Currently, I have a sequel to this story in the works with at least 17k words in total and I'm eager to let you guys read it once this story is well in the works.**

 **With that information, you can guess that this is an origin story for both Sam and Willow and the sequel will reference events that transpire in this one.**

 **But for now, I'm keeping the sequel stored on my hard drive until I deem it fit for your guys' reading. Well that, and when I can actually consider it ready given how early I am into _this_ story.**

 **Other than that, some of my other stories will _probably_ get updated at some point, given I can actually find the motivation to write them, it all depends on how I feel.**

 **Reviews, as always, are welcome and I'd love to see some constructive criticism on my work to allow me to improve on my writing and not make my stories play out like they're written by some machine. A trait I have noticed in some of my earlier works.**

 **Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter and expect more in the near future.**

 **Have a good one!**

 **-Hydra**


	4. Sizing Things Up

**Sizing Things Up**

"There~ we go, all done sweetheart,"

Janice Everlite had finally finished taking Willow's measurements for the clothes she was going to make.

"Now Samuel, what kind of clothes are you looking at exactly? I would personally suggest maybe some of the essentials; shirts, trousers, skirts _and_ a winter coat. That time is fast approaching now, it would be a good idea to invest in one," Janice placed her tape measure away neatly and stood up.

"I'll take all of the above and more, you'll find the money in your account within the next hour." Sam stated confidently, once more sweeping Willow up in his arms.

"Excellent," Janice chimed. "Now is there a colour scheme we're going for here?"

Sam hummed in thought. "Willow? What's your favourite colour?"

The girl looked him in the eyes before biting her bottom lip in trepidation.

"Blue," The girl quietly murmured, her timid nature showing in the sound of her voice.

"What kind of blue, sweetheart?" Sam pried, trying to coax her out of her shell. "Do you like _light_ blue? Or _dark_ blue?"

Willow's left index finger found its way to her bottom lip as she made her decision.

"Umm… Dark blue,"

Sam smiled at her and nodded. " _Well_ , you heard the lady. Can I see your palette of dark blues?" He asked Janice politely, earning a nod.

"Of course, I'll be right back." The elderly woman replied, walking through the archway at the back of the store.

It wasn't long before she soon returned with a selection of blue colours, Sam knew this wasn't all of her selection, but what was placed on display had notable differences in shades to make Willow's decision easier. Janice figured Willow would be much more specific in the future as she grew older, assuming Sam was able to adopt her, of course.

Sam approached the counter with Willow in his arms and pointed to the coloured sheets.

"Okay Willow, do any of these look good to you?" He gently asked, eyeing the midnight blue sheet in particular.

As he suspected, the Faunus immediately pointed to the midnight blue shade.

"Well, there you have it," The huntsman declared confidently. "The child has spoken. I'd like to order five t-shirts, three sweaters and one winter coat in midnight blue. As for her trousers and skirts, I'll take five of each in just a plain black, I'm sure she won't mind."

Janice quickly jotted Sam's order down in a little notepad and tallied up the pricing.

"Certainly, that'll set you back about three-thousand Lien," The woman replied.

Sam's eyes widened considerably. "Come again…?" He questioned in disbelief.

The shop was then filled with the warm sound of Janice' laughter.

" _Oh~_ I'm kidding my boy, it'll only be 120 plus a 10% discount just because she's so adorable," The elder clarified. "So one-hundred and eight Lien."

Sam's face and posture soon relaxed as he realised the woman was joking. He gave her an earnest grin and bowed his head.

"Thank you, Janice. This means a lot to me." He proclaimed gratefully.

"Samuel, I've known you _long_ enough to know that you wouldn't have done this if it didn't, I sincerely wish you both the best of luck with the inevitable hell you're about to go through and I'll be thinking of you all the while. Send my love to Murphy and Marina for me and I'll call you when the little one's clothes are ready." Both adults in the room shared a respective bow to one another before Sam adjusted his grip on Willow and left.

* * *

The duo's next destination would be the Council hall to report on Sam's findings to add to the report, it wasn't far from where Janice' tailor shop was located, meaning the amount of walking required was minimalistic.

Meanwhile, Marina and Murphy were having one hell of a time during their debriefing.

"So, aside from the Grimm, was there anything you guys found out of the ordinary? Casualties and the like?" The Valean official asked, clearly reading from the script she had been given. Before either of the two could respond, the door to the office opened to reveal Samuel Steele carrying a small child in his arms, both of which holding a cone of icecream in their hands.

"Ah! Mister Steele, your timing is impeccable, please, take a seat." The woman commented, gesturing to the chair on Marina's left. Sam took the official's offer and sat down, setting Willow in his lap, the little girl nonchalantly tucking into her frozen treat. Marina chuckled at the sight, Willow's hands seemingly tiny in comparison to the icecream cone.

"I heard your question as I entered," Sam stated clearly. "And I have brought you both answers and proof."

The woman nodded courteously, interlocking her fingers and placing her elbows on her desk as she leant forward.

"Last night, at about 2200 hours, I was performing my routine sweep of the general area and discovered a pack of Beowulves, about a dozen or so, being led by an Alpha. They were in a rush to get somewhere, so I followed them. This led me to a deceased male in his mid- thirties, the body was surrounded by the Grimm and I engaged them, disposing of all but one, the Alpha." Sam paused to take a breath and adjusted Willow on his lap, the girl continuing to eat her icecream, oblivious to the conversation in the room.

"I tracked the Alpha into a denser part of the forest, following its footsteps to a small clearing. Conditions were… less than favourable, but I finally caught up to it attempting to kill a little girl," Sam saw the eyes of the official briefly flick down towards his lap, piecing together what was being said. "I intervened and managed to kill the creature but the child was in a bad state, she had hit her head on something hard during the engagement and was losing blood from a gash on her forehead quickly, so I double-timed it back to the camp site for medical treatment. I cleaned her wound and it was much worse than I had anticipated."

"She was cold and wet, more _drastic_ measures were needed in order to save her life," Murphy cut in, taking over from Sam. "I suggested to Sam that we unlock her Aura. Something that we both knew was quite frowned upon in regards to children, but we had no other options in order to prevent her catching a fatal disease. Sam was the one to do it."

The official sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

" _Oh_ no," She groaned. "The higher ups are _not_ going to like this… How old is the girl?"

Sam and Murphy looked to one another before turning back to the official, the woman getting a distinct message that her job was going to get a lot harder.

"Six." Both men responded at once.

As the woman predicted, this made thing a lot more complicated in order to construct this report.

" _Dammit…_ " She cursed, slightly banging her fist against the desk, startling the young Willow for a second before she shrugged and carried on with her devouring.

"Please, carry on, I need to know the details of this procedure."

Sam nodded.

"I unlocked her Aura, and everything was fine, no adverse side effects that either me or Murphy could detect. Her wound healed in an instant and it wasn't long before the colour returned to her face. Marina informed us of a cabin she found in the forest that showed signs of a Grimm attack too. For the next couple of hours, we kept a close watch on her, making sure she was alive and well as she slept. Once she woke, we fed, watered and bathed her, giving her a generous amount of our rations in the process but it was our last night in Patch. This morning, I headed off to find the destroyed cabin in the woods that Marina had informed us of last night. When I found the place, it showed clear signs of a Grimm attack, the entire front wall of the place having been torn down completely and the structural integrity of the building in a critical condition. That wasn't what surprised me though. When I got there I found two White Fang insurgents scouring the area, they were dousing the place in a flammable liquid, looking to dispose of any potential evidence."

This immediately brought the Valean official's undivided attention.

"White Fang?" She asked incredulously, typing everything down on her holographic terminal. "What did you do? Did you engage them?"

"I did, yes. I knocked both of them out and took their scrolls." Sam stated, procuring said devices from his armour and laying them on the desk for evidence.

"This is good, thank you. What else do you have for me?" The official asked.

"I have on my scroll, images of the building's interior for documentation. I will transfer them to you now." Sam quickly brought forth his own scroll and opened the device up before placing it above a little pad by the terminal and pressing a button on the display. A little progress bar appeared and one completed, a tick was shown on both Sam's scroll and the official's terminal, indicating a successful transfer.

"Is there anything else you have to report, other than what you've given me? I suspect that you have told me everything that needed, but I need to ask this as per standing operating procedures." The woman interrogated them.

"The girl's name is Willow, no known last name. The house I investigated contained the body of an older woman we suspect is her mother. Leaving her with no known relatives at this time." Sam answered.

The woman nodded as she continued typing. "Uh huh, okay great. If that's everything then we're all done here. I'll have a staff member from the Valean orphanage come to take her from you as soon as possible and-"

" _No._ " Sam exclaimed forcefully. Earning a shocked expression from the woman.

"I-I'm sorry? I-"

Sam interrupted her with a dead serious expression.

"That _won't_ be necessary. I can take care of her for now." He added.

"But Mister Steele, you understand that she has no identification. I'm sorry, but she _needs_ to be taken to the orphanage." The woman replied authoritatively.

"Then I wish to enquire about potentially taking her on as an apprentice. I will take it upon myself to train her to become a huntress." Sam declared truthfully.

"R-Right. Then uh… you'd… you'd need to speak to a member of the council for that. Headmaster Ozpin in particular, he is the one responsible for the oversight of _all_ huntsman related enquiries and applications in Vale. Of course the issue with her lack of identification will make things _quite_ difficult." The woman replied.

"Thank you, but I'll handle that," Sam said as he quickly stood up, hoisting Willow onto his shoulders with ease as he did so. Murphy and Marina subtly shared a knowing look before following suit.

* * *

"So," Murphy spoke up after they left the office and headed toward the exit. "You were pretty serious back there, huh? You sure about this, Sam? I mean I know we talked you into it, but you can always change your mind."

Sam looked to his old friend and lightly sighed.

"There's no going back now, I have to do this, I _want_ to do this. Regardless of the consequences." He replied.

"You're not kidding around, are you?" Marina asked, Sam detected the hint of concern in her tone of voice.

"No," Sam said taking a moment to glance at the little girl on his shoulders, none the wiser to the fact that she was their topic of conversation. "I made this decision when I unlocked her Aura, I just didn't realise this until now. Letting her go would only delay the inevitable."

"Let's just hope Ozpin sees it the way you do…" Murphy said in response, twiddling a cigar in his thumbs as they left the hall.

"Yeah..." Sam whispered to himself, eye firmly locked on the child sat on his shoulders.

* * *

 **Author's note:** Yeah, yeah, I've been very inactive. There is a good reason for this, but let's be real. No one gives a shit and that's fine by me. I will, however, be updating this story a bit more frequently though since I am in a stable condition to do so. I may only upload like once every two weeks or so, but I am but a simple, working man and have other priorities. If you didn't know already, there is a sequel to this in the works, but it's not ready for your viewing yet until I've laid down some critical plot points in this story, so you'll just have to wait, I'm afraid. As for now, here is the latest chapter to keep you interested until the next one comes out sometime next week. Yeah, it's a little shorter than my usual chapters, but that means the next chapter comes sooner, so please don't fret.

Other than that, I hope you enjoy.

Have a good one!

-Hydra


	5. The Path of Parenthood

**The Path of Parenthood**

Marina, Murphy and little Willow were patiently waiting outside of the large room that was Headmaster Ozpin's office. When the four of them arrived at Beacon, they were all greeted by the man who ran the school and his assistant, the two having been informed of Sam's inquiry beforehand.

Things were… not going well.

" _What do you mean you can't allow this? What's stopping you?"_ The trio flinched at the harsh tone of Sam's voice from inside the room, he was clearly pissed.

" _Mister Steele, you must understand that there are several issues with this that neither us, nor the council can ignore, she must remain in Vale."_ The collected Glynda Goodwitch replied, trying to reason with the stubborn Huntsman.

Marina and Murphy hadn't heard much from Ozpin since the debate had started and that worried them, Marina herself subconsciously holding Willow tighter in reassurance.

Sam paced to and fro in frustration as he fought the urge to get into a shouting war between himself and the deputy headmistress.

"What _I_ don't understand is why I cannot just sign some forms and get this bullshit over with. _All_ I am asking for is the chance to adopt, raise and train the girl under _huntsman_ supervision. So _why_ is it that those snobby, good for nothing assholes, won't allow that?" He asked, needless to say, angrily.

Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration as she let out a low groan.

"That is because there are laws _preventing_ that. You are a _huntsman_ , Samuel, your duties are to protect the four kingdoms and those in need, _not_ some girl you found in Patch."

Sam grumbled something under his breath.

"But what if protecting said girl _would_ be fulfilling my duties? I'm sure you are both well aware that the girl's parents were members of the White Fang and that the White Fang is looking for her in particular. Would sending her to an orphanage _not_ put those kids lives in potential danger? If I were to take her away to somewhere _safe_ , would I _not_ be protecting just her, but those orphans by extension?" He countered gesturing with his hands in an attempt to make his point clearer.

Glynda sighed. "Well yes, but-"

"But _what_?!" Sam asked fiercely. "What are the implications here? What am I missing aside from adoption certificates and the point you are trying to make?!"

Sam aggressively took the seat in front of Ozpin's desk, the man himself calmly sipping his coffee and staring out of the window, gazing upon both Beacon's vast grounds and the kingdom of Vale itself.

Sam sighed and buried his head into his hands.

"Headmaster, you _know_ me. I wouldn't be asking you this favour if I truly didn't need it. I have jumped through _flaming_ _rings_ to keep this girl safe. I outright _refuse_ to leave Vale without her by my side." Sam's voice was much calmer now, and he gently placed his helmet on the desk.

Ozpin spun around on his chair to face the young man before him. The headmaster placed his coffee mug on his desk and interlocked his fingers as his eyes locked with Sam's.

Sam looked at the man in slight confusion, completely none-the-wiser to his intentions.

"Then it is settled," Ozpin chimed, killing the deafening silence in the room. "I know now that you are truly serious about this matter and are more than willing to dedicate your time to caring for and training this girl. I will help you."

Sam couldn't believe it, and neither could Glynda Goodwitch.

"Oz, you can't be ser-"

The woman was interrupted by the man raising his hand in dismissal.

"There is a _catch_ , however," The man spoke solemnly. "Since the girl is so young and you were forced to unlock her Aura due to unfortunate circumstances, she will need to remain here for a time so that we can instruct her on how to employ methods of control over it to prevent any incidents. This, of course, will be the only price you will have to pay, but if you agree to this, then this debate is over. You are right, Samuel. Placing her in an orphanage – despite your prejudices against such institutes – may place those that reside there in a very real danger. This I cannot allow. So if you permit us to help her learn basic control over her now unlocked Aura, I will fight your corner in front of the Council."

Sam was at a loss for words, he figured there would be more actions needed to be taken in order to adopt Willow, but he did not expect the Headmaster of Beacon Academy to agree to his proposition on such lenient terms.

" _Absolutely_ , take as much time as you need." The man replied immediately, trying his best to conceal his internal excitement and gratitude.

"If that's the case, then maybe we could begin now? Glynda, if you would like to tell Miss Aquatica to bring the child in, I would quite like to see her for myself." The Headmaster beckoned his assistant, smiling all the while. The stern woman rolled her eyes but begrudgingly complied, walking towards the entrance and opening the doors.

Sam turned around to see Marina entering the room holding Willow's hand. The little girl was quick to loosen her grip and run towards her protector with a smile on her face. Sam smiled in return and lifted the girl up on to his lap.

"Hey kiddo, are you okay?" He asked in a distinct fatherly voice, not to the surprise of everyone in the room.

Willow nodded, her Vulpine ears flaccidly bobbing as she did so.

"Willow, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Sam said calmly, gesturing to the man sat across from him. "This is Professor Ozpin, he is going to teach you something _very_ important, so I need to listen okay? He's not going to hurt you, so you don't need to worry."

In that moment, the headmaster took to his feet and walked around his desk to approach the small girl. Willow shrunk in response to the man nearing towards her, but Ozpin crouched in front of her and held out his hand.

"Hello Willow, my name is Ozpin, it is nice to meet you," He greeted kindly, his voice purposefully soft as to not frighten the girl. Willow looked at Sam in worry and the man smiled and nodded at her. Sheepishly, Willow held out her hand, her baggy sleeve covering the appendage, but Ozpin took it and shook her hand regardless.

"Hello..." The girl quietly murmured, shades of trepidation evident in her voice.

Ozpin chuckled lightly in amusement.

"There's no need to be afraid, I just want to help you," He said in reassurance. "Tell me, do you know what Aura is, Willow?"

The girl shook her head in response and Ozpin nodded in understanding.

"Aura is the physical manifestation of our souls, which means it's our soul showing itself so that we can see and feel it. Can you feel your Aura, Willow?" Willow once again answered his question with a shake of her head, clearly the oversimplification was easy to understand for the six year old, but she didn't know that her Aura was present.

"That's quite alright, that's what I'm here for. I will teach you how to turn it on and off so you get a feel for it, then I want you to do it by yourself so you get the hang of it, is that okay?" The man asked gently, still taking great care to not alarm her.

The girl nodded, expressing her approval. With her permission having been granted, Ozpin gently pried back the sleeve of Willow's right arm and held her hand within his own.

"Now then, Willow. I am going to flair my Aura which in turn will flair yours, I want you to get a feel for it first, okay?"

"Mkay..." The girl mumbled softly.

Ozpin's standing soon began to glow a deep forest green and in response, Willow's body reacted by glimmering a brilliant cerulean.

"Do you feel that Willow? That is your Aura talking to mine. Now I want you to hold onto that feeling as best you can. Forget about everything else, close your eyes and hold onto it," Ozpin's instructions were clear and precise, Willow nodding to him as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She could feel it, the reassuring warmth that encompassed her standing. She let it fill her up and the glowing intensified dramatically. Willow didn't even register Ozpin letting go of her hand as she managed to maintain it all by herself.

The stress and tension she had felt during this meeting seemed to wither away and die as the girl felt stronger, faster and more able than she had ever felt before.

Ozpin smiled, watching the girl as she experienced this sensation for the first time. He had to admit, she had done very, _very_ well in keeping her Aura up, it wasn't often someone could do it with such ease and grace, _especially_ on their first try. She was clearly a natural in Aura manipulation.

Eventually, Willow grew bored and cracked an eye open to stare incredulously at her hands, fascinated by the blue light emanating from them.

The girl cracked a small smile, her lips slowly curling upwards in sheer elation as the tactile nature of Aura coursed through her body. Almost addicting to the girl in a positive way.

"You have done very well, Willow. Now, I would like you to breath in and as you breath out again, slowly loosen your hold on your Aura, you will find that you will no longer be able to see it, but you will still feel it, okay?" Ozpin's calming voice allowed Willow to ease into the transition. She did exactly as instructed, inhaling through her nose and then slowly exhaling through her mouth, watching as the barrier surrounding her became more and more transparent until it vanished entirely from sight.

"Beautifully done, _very_ well done indeed. You have impressed me today, I had assumed it would take a little longer, but you seem to have mastered it already." The headmaster commented with a genuine smile. Where Willow was very shy and reserved not five minutes beforehand, the girl now openly nodded at him, her smile remaining firmly on her face.

"Now I want you to practise this as _much_ as you can, do it _every_ time you get some time alone okay?" Ozpin said in a gentle, yet cheery tone.

Willow nodded in fervency. Taking every word in and locking it away in her memories.

"Well Samuel," The headmaster began as he stood up from his crouched position. "As far as I can tell, she is incredibly attentive for a child her age. I have _no_ doubt that she will soon master this gift you have bestowed upon her. As for my end of the bargain, please give me some time to organise a meeting with the council and I will contact you once we have a hearing. In the meantime, you are free to do as you see fit."

With that, Samuel hoisted Willow up on to his shoulders and stood up in one fluent movement. The Huntsman extended his hand toward the Headmaster and they both shook on the deal they had made.

* * *

On the inside, Samuel with bursting at the seams, the dread he felt prior to the meeting – concerning whether or not Ozpin would agree to help him – was no longer present, replaced only by Sam's hopes that he would finally get custody over this girl he saved.

When they left Beacon, Sam couldn't _begin_ to describe how both excited and scared he felt over his circumstances. He wouldn't understand what this meant til later, but he was unknowingly slipping into a parental mindset, a transition so fluid in nature that only Marina and Murphy could notice the effects it had on the man's personality and thought patterns.

He was making Willow his top priority, that was the first thing they picked up on. Everything he did now had something to do with the girl in one way or another. They didn't blame him though, in fact, both Marina and Murphy were probably his biggest supporters, they were just as involved as he was in this girl's life.

After they left Beacon, Sam and Murphy decided that now would be the best time to check into a hotel for the rest of the week.  
Marina, on the other hand, had other plans. After giving Sam no room for protest, she quite literally snatched Willow off of his shoulders and ran away with her, earning fits of giggles from the little girl as she found being stolen absolutely hilarious.

When Marina was at a 'safe' distance, she decided to put Willow down on the ground and hold her hand. She looked down at the little girl only to receive a sweet little smile in return.

"Now then, since Ozpin seems on board with you living with Sam and becoming a huntress, I think it's time to show you some _weapons,_ " Marina gave the girl a wink once she had finished speaking and Willow's face grew a thousand watts brighter.

Marina physically began to feel the surge of energy coursing through Willow's body in anticipation, the girl had shown an immediate interest in Marina's staff when she first laid her azure eyes on it, it was only fitting to show her just some examples of other weapons to see what clicked with the little fox. They crossed the street and entered a store by the name of 'Gunther's Armour Emporium' and as soon as they entered Marina gave Willow a set of very easy instructions.

"Go wild."

* * *

 **Author's note: This took a lot longer than it should have to be uploaded, for that I apologise. The next chapter won't be so far away as this time, that I can assure you.**

 **Have a good one!**

 **-Hydra**


	6. A Fine Meal

**A Fine Meal**

Never in her life had Marina regretted something so quickly.

As soon as the words "Go wild" left her mouth, Willow had immediately disappeared into the reasonably large store.

The Huntress sighed as she went to work in hunting the girl down and reining her in after metaphorically letting her off of her leash.

She had a lot of energy, that was for sure. How Sam would deal with this in the future was not her problem though.

When she finally found the fox-eared girl, she was sat on the floor surrounded by half a dozen weapon magazines, staring at the images with stars in her eyes. Every so often she would whisper "I want that one" as she spotted something she liked.

Marina couldn't help but grin at the little girl. "Having fun there?" She asked amusedly, as she sat down on the floor next to the girl.

Willow nodded but didn't take her eyes off of the page she was reading, studying the image of a pair of handguns. The guns had an intricate design embossed into their chromed surface. The engravings were also coloured a burning red colour to make them stand out more.

Quite frankly, they looked more like a piece of art than Grimm-slaying death contraptions, but nonetheless, Willow was clearly hooked.

They spent a good half hour browsing the store and reading magazines until Willow had picked out four magazines in particular that she wanted to keep – The one featuring the handguns especially so. Marina was more than happy to buy them as they were only 2 Lien each, a small price to pay for the happiness of whom she might as well have called her daughter.

She bit her lip as she conjured that thought; the idea of having children scared Marina, not to mention due to her… medical condition. The topic of children was a sore spot in the Huntress' mind, a topic she preferred to avoid like the plague.

Once they left the store, Marina didn't quite know what to do next, sure they could have gone back to the hotel, but she didn't see much point in wasting such a beautiful sunny day. Instead, her stomach spoke for her as she heard it gurgle. Willow did too, judging by the fact she finally tore her eyes away from the handguns and looked at Marina with longing eyes.

"Hungry too?" Marina asked rhetorically, Willow seemed to always be hungry, so the woman knew her answer before she did. Nonetheless, the girl nodded fervently and they began to take a stroll through the bustling streets of Vale.

They wandered aimlessly until Willow's nose picked up on the saliva-inducing scent of grilled burgers. The girl tugged on Marina's coat for attention and was rewarded instantly.

"What is it, sweetie?" Marina questioned softly, brushing some of her azure hair behind her right ear. Willow's response was to point at the burger kitchen ahead of them and the Huntress nodded.

Marina's brows furrowed briefly as she bent over and licked her thumb. She then began to wipe away some dirt that was stuck to the tip of Willow's nose.

"You got something there, honey, let me get it for you."

Willow's face involuntarily contorted but it was over before she knew it.

"Much better," Marina declared triumphantly before she heard someone shouting across the street from them.

"Hey! Looks like we got ourselves an animal lover!" A bald man wearing ripped jeans and a turtleneck sweater called out, clearly trying to impress his friends. However, this ended up drawing more attention to Marina and Willow than he intended. Various judging or disgusting stares from all around began to burn holes through both Huntress and orphan, quickly followed by whispering, most of which was heard by Willow.

The little girl's eyes began to flick around nervously and tears began to form as more and more people seemed to be glaring at her. For the six-year old, it was incredibly intimidating since she was not used to humans being so hostile – directly or indirectly – toward her.

Marina on the other hand, was _not_ so easily defeated. She scooped the girl up into her arms and allowed her to bury her head into the crook of Marina's neck. The older woman then began to stare down the man that drew all of this unnecessary hate toward them.

"Well done, pal! You've just made a six-year-old orphan cry! Does that make you feel big and strong?! Do you feel like a _real_ man now?! People like _you_ are the reason this city is such a horrible place to live, I _really_ hope you're proud of yourself!" Her eyes were burning with a fiery rage and her voice was dripping with malice. "The next time you or _anyone_ else makes this girl uncomfortable in her own skin _again_ , I will _personally_ kick your ass to the next kingdom! Do I make myself clear?!" All eyes were suddenly averting away from them as they saw Marina draw her collapsible staff and brandish it around to prove she wasn't yelling out an idle threat.

With that out of the way and no further hateful comments muttered, she collapsed her staff and hooked it back on her belt inside her coat.

A tinge of shame tugged at Marina's conscious. It wasn't until she collapsed her staff and holstered it that she realised that maybe her reaction wasn't what should have been rightfully appropriate for a Huntress.

Sighing, she kneeled down to pick up Willow's magazines, including the one she unintentionally dropped, and carried the girl all the way to the burger kitchen.

When they entered the establishment, they were quickly greeted by a young waitress who kindly showed them to a table. Marina was thankful that the girl – possibly no older than 18 – paid no mind to Willow's Faunus traits as the little girl was still forcing herself back inside her shell.

The Huntress sat down in a small booth in the calm restaurant environment. She gently pried Willow off of her chest and sat her down beside her, closer to the wall so that she may eat in peace and not garner the opportunity to run if she felt threatened.

It wasn't long before the same waitress that greeted them came sliding over to their seats in an excitable manner, one that Willow developed a mild interest in.

"Hi! My name is Leah! May I take your orders please?" The bleach blonde girl asked cheerily. Looking to both Marina and Willow through her chestnut coloured eyes.

"Sure," Marina replied in equal cheerfulness, the anger from her earlier outburst quickly boiling away.

After an impressively short menu purging, the food they had ordered – a pair of plain beef burgers with a side order of fries – was served very quickly. Salt, pepper and a small selection of condiments were placed on the table and Marina cut Willow's burger into four smaller portions as to prevent indigestion in the girl.

Nonetheless, Willow still ate her food like it was going out of date, finishing with a small burp and the flushing of her porcelain cheeks when Marina lightly admonished her for not covering her mouth.

"Now Willow, we cover our mouths when we burp, okay?" The older woman stated, pointing her index finger towards the girl in a commanding manner.

"M'kay, m'sorry." Came the girl's mumbled response.

Marina had to fight the urge to fawn over the little girl, noting that it didn't matter what the circumstances may be, the Huntress would never be able to stay angry at her.

Marina had half a mind to coo and the other half to laugh, though she settled for gently rubbing Willow's vulpine ears. It was experimental, Faunus generally detested others touching their animalistic appendages, however Willow didn't seem to mind. In fact, Marina could've sworn the little girl actually enjoyed it somewhat, if the smile on her face, her closed eyes and the way she leant into the Huntress' side was any indication.

Not only that, but Marina's ears struggled to hear the softly emanating purr that came from the small girl's throat.

Marina, though not outwardly expressing it, thoroughly enjoyed this little moment, just stroking Willow's extremely soft fox ears sent both a wave of joy through the woman and the little girl beside her.

It was bonding, if she had to label it, the girl beside her – despite only knowing her for less than twenty-four hours – already meant a lot to Marina.

Maybe not as a daughter, but definitely as family.

Family that did _not_ have to be related by blood.

Even if the girl wasn't deprived of love, the Huntress would still give it to her as if she were a product of her own creation. A complicated and downright scary prospect, but in either case, the woman promised herself that she would dedicate her time to raising the girl too, even _if_ Willow chose Sam.

The Huntsman in question, on the other hand, was worried, Marina and Willow had been gone for quite a while. Though he didn't hold any doubts about their safety – Marina was a fully qualified warrior, after all – he still questioned their absence.

"It's fine, man," Murphy gave his reassurances as best he could to dissolve Sam's worries. Chewing on the end of a cigar that he had _illegally_ lit inside the hotel.

"They're probably just exploring the city. You gotta remember that Marina isn't as knowledgeable of this kingdom than we are."

Sam nodded. Marina grew up in Vacuo, but attended Beacon regardless. Thus, he knew that she didn't know this city as well as Murphy and himself.

Whilst Sam was able to listen _and_ see the reason behind Murphy's points, he was still anxious.

"Sam, for _God's_ sake, will you _stop_ pacing? You're gonna end up digging a trench."

Sam stopped in his tracks and looked sown at the carpeted floor, the fabric had already begun to slightly fray due to the friction from his greaves.

The man hummed and sighed. "I guess you're right. They won't be gone for too long. I just want to keep an eye on her."

Murphy sighed heavily.

"Sam, stop stressing, I guarantee they're fine, man."

"But Murph, what if they're late? What if they ran into trouble, you _know_ what this city can be like sometimes! I don't want to-"

"We're back~!"

Sam's head snapped in the direction of the new voice that burst through the entrance.

That voice was soon accompanied by a light bump against the man's knees. Sam looked down, seeing the little girl he saved hugging his legs and looking up at him lovingly.

The man's anxiety instantly dispersed as he bent down and lifted the tiny girl in his armoured arms.

Before he even had the _chance_ to speak, a magazine was quickly shoved into his face, the open pages displayed a pair of silver, intricately decorated hand cannons.

"What's this?" He questioned, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"She saw them and loved them, we may have ourselves a little fighter yet." Marina answered, hand resting on her hip with a smirk firmly engraved on her face.

Sam's heart lurched for two reasons:

1: Assuming the council gave him permission to raise Willow, he would get to train her personally, teaching her how to defend herself and others.

2: She would be putting herself in great danger as a potential huntress, actively going out of her way to throw herself into the line of fire for the protection of the people.

The former excited him and filled him with elation.

The latter?

He was going to have to train her _very well…_

"We'll see."

"I notice she's taken a strong liking to _pistols…_ I could help with that." Murphy commented, twirling one of his revolvers around his middle finger, smirking mischievously all the while.

"We _still_ have to see if Sam's even allowed to raise her yet, though with Ozpin rooting for you, it wouldn't surprise me if they eventually caved in." Marina said, acting as the voice of reason.

"For her sake, I should hope so," Murphy replied.

"Join the club."

* * *

Later that night, the four of them had eaten dinner that was served to them by the hotel's faculty and were now all settled down inside their room.

Sam had removed his armour by now, storing it in one of the wardrobes. His sword and shield were resting beside the bed and he was laying down with his feet kicked up by the foot.

The man was not alone though, for little Willow was sat right next to him, excitedly pointing out all of her favourite pictures in the magazine and adorably struggling to pronounce the names associated with the weapons.

Sam smiled as she once more rambled on about how amazing the sword her small, delicate finger was resting on was.

"I want one!" She squealed giddily, her bright blue eyes plastered on the page.

Sam's hand gently petted the spot between her fox ears. "I know you do, kid. We gotta wait though, you need to be trained before we can start giving you sharp objects."

Willow's bottom lip jutted out in disappointment.

"But…" The huntsman said abruptly.

"Once you _are_ trained, I'll make you a sword that's far cooler." A cheeky wink was sent in Willow's direction, followed quickly by a smirk.

A buzzing sound on the table beside them signified Sam's scroll receiving a message. Willow tilted her head in confusion, her right ear flopping to the side as she did so.

"What's _that?_ " The little girl asked adorably, pointing towards the device now held in Sam's hands.

"This is a Scroll, it's used to send messages and call people so you can talk to them when they're far away."

Small eyebrows scrunched up as Willow's confusion deepened further.

"Does that mean… you have to shout?"

Sam couldn't help himself from chuckling heartily. The Faunus' innocence was too much for him to handle.

"N-no Willow, you don't have to shout, honey." Sam said, attempting to stifle himself.

His steel eyes focused on the device in front of him, on the transparent screen was a notification informing him that he had received a message from the headmaster of Beacon Academy himself.

Sam opened the message and scanned through it quickly before quickly sitting upright.

'Mister Steele, it is my pleasure to inform you that your request for an audience with the council regarding the child has been accepted. We have a hearing at 10am tomorrow morning.

Be ready, I suspect that they will not give in so easily.

Your friend, Professor Ozpin of Beacon Academy.'

Sam read the message over and over again, both dread and excitement bubbling up inside him.

His request had been accepted, this meant that the council would willingly hear him out on his reasoning and, hopefully, allow him to finally adopt the girl he had grown attached to.

He could raise her, as a daughter, train her to become a fierce warrior to defend the kingdoms just like he had.

The best part was, she'd never get to live the life of an orphan, abandoned by her parents and forsaken by the rest of the public…

To hell with being there at 10am, the man would arrive at the hearing at 8 if he it even had the slightest chance of improving his odds of success.

The man diverted his attention to the little girl next to him, looking up to him already with sweetly caring eyes.

' _It's worth it.'_ He thought to himself.

' _Even if the whole world doesn't want you kid, I'll always be here for you.'_

* * *

 **Author's Note: I know, I _know_... I've been off the grid for a long ass time. Well, for your peace of mind, I'm back. Maybe on a more permanent basis too. No promises on that though.**

 **In the time that it's taken me to release the previous chapter and now this one, I've started working, built a new computer and dealt with a lot of real-life obligations that sadly, could not be ignored.**

 _ **However...**_

 **Since I've now dealt with all the bullshit I can finally get back to what really matters; writing. And for your information, I have had a lot of time to plan out and write a bountiful supply for all you lovely people that I'll be sure to eventually edit and upload for you to kill your free time.**

 **I'm great, I know.**

 **If you're worried about any more inactivity, quite frankly, I'm not surprised. Just know, I'm _not_ dead and will be updating withing shorter time-** **spans.**

 **Either way, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, don't think it'll be the last.**

 **Have a good one.**

 **-Hydra.**


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